ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher expects Sam Bradford to play in next week’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, the quarterback’s first time facing competition since he injured his left knee last October.

Fisher said Saturday that he hasn’t decided yet how much Bradford will play against the Packers on Aug. 16. Out of 18 players the Rams held out of Friday night’s preseason opener against New Orleans, Fisher says 15 or 16 should play next week.

Bradford has declared himself fully healthy after surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament last year.

Fisher says he believes that holding so many starters out of the game likely contributed to his team’s 14 penalties in the 26-24 loss. He also saw too many mental mistakes and missed tackles.

Advertisement

Bills cautious after LT Glenn cleared for practice

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Cordy Glenn’s long-awaited return to practice on Saturday is not an indication that the Buffalo Bills starting left tackle is anywhere close to being ready to play.

Far from it, coach Doug Marrone said hours after Glenn passed his physical and was added to the active roster following an undisclosed illness.

“We’re going to take it very, very slowly,” said Marrone, of a player who’s been sidelined since training camp opened July 20. “You won’t seem him participating in any team (drills) for a while. And we’ll see how he responds, because I really don’t know.”

And Marrone didn’t rule out the possibility of Glenn not being ready for the start of the regular season. He instead noted that rookie seventh-round draft pick Seantrel Henderson has so far shown he’s capable of taking over the job on an interim basis if necessary.

Glenn’s status has been a big question mark since tests revealed he had an issue, which the Bills have been careful not to disclose. He was placed on the team’s active/non-football illness list a few days before camp opened and was limited to light exercises on the sideline.

On Saturday, Glenn was at least finally able to take the field after missing the first 12 sessions and two preseason games. He took part in a few walk-through drills with the starters, but did little else.

Selected in the second round of the 2012 draft out of Georgia, Glenn has been the Bills starting left tackle since his rookie season.

So when his knee started ailing during Washington Redskins offseason practices in June, he thought about trying to play with the discomfort and not have surgery.

“You know, just a new guy getting signed, it was a big deal,” Hatcher said. “Just you being a human, you’re kind of like, `I’m just getting here, you know? What my teammates going to think? What (are) the GM and owner going to think?’ So it was one of those things that was a hard decision.”

Hatcher opted to have the arthroscopic surgery to clean up the cartilage in his left knee. It caused him to miss the first two weeks of training camp, but on Saturday he was back on the field. He passed his physical and was moved from the physically unable to perform list to the active roster.

“I’m very happy that the way it’s responding,” Hatcher said. “I’ve got a little way to go. I’m very happy where I’m at right now.”

The Redskins, looking to bolster the pass rush, signed the defensive end to a four-year, $27.5 million contract in March as a free agent from the Dallas Cowboys. They’re going to be cautious with him: He donned his helmet and joined his fellow linemen for the initial part of practice, but he sat out the team drills.

Meanwhile, the Redskins’ biggest offseason acquisition, DeSean Jackson, remains sidelined after hurting his left ankle during Wednesday’s practice. He missed Thursday’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots and sat in the trainers’ tent icing his ankle Saturday while his teammates were on the field.

Packers scratch Rodgers, Lacy vs. Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy are among 10 Packers scratched from Green Bay’s preseason opener on the road in Tennessee.

Matt Flynn will start for Rodgers, with James Starks in for Lacy on Saturday night. The Packers also scratched receiver Jordy Nelson, giving Jarrett Boykin the start in his place.

Safety Morgan Burnett, recovering from an oblique injury, was among seven Packers who did not travel to Tennessee and the only starter in that group.

The Titans scratched only four players who all have been dealing with injuries. That includes defensive linemen Mike Martin (hamstring), Antonio Johnson (knee) and Marcus Dixon. Linebacker David Gilbert (shoulder) also is out.

Cowboys CB Carr in camp after death of mother

OXNARD, Calif. — Brandon Carr is on the field with the Dallas Cowboys after missing the first two weeks of training camp to be with his mother in the final days of her long battle with breast cancer.

The veteran cornerback was at practice Saturday, a day after reporting for camp. Carr missed the first 11 workouts and the preseason opener at San Diego.

Carr said the practice field was his “safe haven” following Kathy Robinson Carr’s death July 30. The 59-year-old’s funeral was Wednesday in Carr’s hometown of Flint, Michigan.

The seventh-year player said teammates kept his spirits up with daily text messages that included an occasional joke.